I thought that it would be fun, to toss in a novelty record from the 1980's for a good laugh on today's posting of Eddie's Railfan Page.

From the year of 1986, here is a D.J who decided to use the name of the Vilian "Boris Badenough" from the 1960's era television cartoon show "Rocky and Bullwinkle".

During the 1980's, there was a Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon revival, with new popularity for an old favorite. Walt Disney's Buena Vista Studios, had purchased the rights from Jay Ward Productions, and soon re released several old Rocky and Bullwinkle, Mister Peabody, and Fractured Fairy Tale cartoons on home video.

Jay Ward who was the man who created these cartoons, passed away in 1989, but his creativity and humor live on.

An all morning lake effect snowstorm had stopped falling on the greater Chicagoland area an hour or so ago, and an eastbound Canadian Pacific transfer train, is viewed passing through snow covered winter landscape, at the River Grove Illinois Metra commuter rail station.

Within a week or so, the outside temperatures warmed up, and we soon experienced a mild December "Thaw" with temperature readings in the upper 40's and low 50's.

Hmmmmm. The way Chicago's winter of 2014 has been going so far, I hope that history will repeat itself with 2006 mild readings and soon melted snow.

Hi everyone!

This is Eddie K, your host and photographer here at Eddie's Railfan Page.

One of my favorite instrumental songs on the charts that I remember from when I was growing up in Chicago during the late 1960's, was the 1968 hit single "Classical Gas" by guitarist Mason Williams.

Although this song has nothing to do with "Buses", I often imagined myself riding aboard a Greyhound or Trailways long distance motorcoach bus, with this particular song playing in my head as we zip down the highway.

I used to own the 1968 album entitled "The Mason William's Phonograph Record", which featured a photo of a clean shaven Mason Williams posing in front of a huge photograph of a Greyhound bus folded in half. I still might own this one in my collection today. It has been awhile.

One of the more unique over the road long distance motorcoach buses I remember seeing from my own childhood growing up in Chicago during the 1960's and 70's era, were the popular General Motors split leval Sceniccruiser buses used by the Greyhound Bus Company.

Introduced during the early 1950's, these buses provided comfortable long distance travel for Greyhound bus passengers in to the 1970's. The gold stripe below the windows shown here, began appearing on Greyhound buses around 1960.

Although I never had the opportunity to actually ride aboard one of these classic American motorcoach buses, a handful have been preserved by private individuals today.

This photo appears courtesy of my link page Borthern California Bus Fans, which is located to the right of your computer screen at www.norcalbusfans.com

I found this photograph at my Link page Northern California Bus Fans, located to the right of your computer screen at www.norcalbusfans.com (This is an incredible photo page. A must see.)

I grew up in Chicago Illinois during the 1960's and 70's era, and I fondly remember riding the Chicago Transit Authorority's 1960's era Flxible fishbowl windshield transit buses.

These buses were first ordered and delivered to the CTA in 1961, with a few other orders that had spanned the decade that were soon to follow.

The CTA operated these until eventual retirement in 1986. A few were privately saved, with one on display at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union Illinois. www.irm.org

The example shown here photographed in 1991, is owned by the Chicago Transit Authority, and is part of their collection of preserved historic transit buses. Bus # 3702 shown here, was part of a 1968 order for "narrow" Flxibles, that could operate on Lake Street under the CTA's Lake Street Elevated rapid transit line.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

This is Eddie K, your host and photographer here at Eddie's Railfan Page.

I thought that it would be fun right about now, and toss in a cheerful railroad song
to tap your feet and snap your fingers to on today's posting.

Lets use a little imagination, and take a trip aboard the "Orange Blossum special".
This was a streamlined passenger train operated by the former Seaboard Air Line
Railroad, that I believe traveled from Washington D.C to Miami Beach Florida
many years ago.

Letrs all escape Chicago's "BLAH" winter of 2014, and head to sunny Florida
courtesy of this classic American railroad song.

Seasonal travel promotions to visit warm sunny climate destinations like the state of Florida in the wintertime, are nothing new.In the days before and just after commercial airline travel, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad and other southeastern United States railroads operating their own passenger trains, promoted such a thing for many years. This was especially true during the era of streamlined diesel powered passenger trains.This picture postcard from the former Seaboard Air Line Railroad, shows a then modern 1940's era streamliner, passing through Florida, which today is still refered to as "The Sunshine State."It must have been wonderful for those who could afford to travel by train to Florida, escaping the snow, ice and bitter windchill factors of places like New York City, Chicago, and parts of the Midwest, to bask in the sunshine, swim in the ocean and eat fresh oranges from the groves of Florida back in the day.You were even luckier if you could actually take time off from your place of employment to do so back in those days.Ahhh yes. Sigh. Winter daydreams of Florida.Thanks.Eddie K.

I took this photograph a few years ago, at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club.

One of my favorite railroad color shemes I remember from my own childhood, was the Great Northern Railroad's "Big Sky Blue" color scheme introduced by the GN in 1967.

Introduced by the Great Northern in 1967 as a corporate "New Image" color scheme and nicknamed "Big Sky Blue" in honor of the state of Montana being known as the "Big Sky Country", this color scheme was short lived.

On March 2nd 1970, the Great Northern -the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy -The Northern Pacific -and the Spokane, Portland & Seatle Railroads had all merged and became the Burlington Northern Railroad.

Although the B N's own Cascade green and black color scheme had replaced the GN big sky blue color scheme on diesel locomotives, several locomotives rolled around in the former GN big sky blue color scheme and the earlier GN Omaha orange and Pulman green color scheme in to the mid 1970's. I also recall occasionally seeing several older un repainted GN , NP, and C,B & Q cars rolling around in pre merger color schemes on BN freight trains, passing through La Grange Illinois during the 1980's. Occasionally a GN big sky blue car would pass through on these trains through out the 1980's.

Chicago's winter of 2014 has been tough on most everyone, however...the many individuals who own snowplow equipped pick up trucks such as maintenance contractors and landscapers...are laughing all the way to the bank this year.

This privately owned snowplow equipped pick up truck with a folding wedge plow, was photographed in the city of Elgin Illinois.

I took this photograph last week Wednsday night, at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club in Oak Park Illinois.

One of the North American fallen flag railroads of the past I enjoy modeling, is the former Illinois Central Gulf Railroad. The early circa 1972 days and the years beyond this, featured locomotives and cars decorated for predecessor railroad Gulf, Mobile & Ohio, as well as the former Illinois Central itself. It was a colorful variety of color schemes from two railroads during the early 1970's.

Depending on what kind of mood I am in, I can either run early 1972 merger era ICG trains, or earlier G,M & O trains. The locomotive shown here, is a Life Like Proto 2000 Series EMD GP 38-2, painted in the G,M & O's late 1960's era "Red Bird" color scheme.

My G,M & O engine shown here, is viewed crossing the model of a railroad life bridge spanning the Missisippi River at the Illinois and Iowa state line border just as the prototype I.C and ICG trains did back in the day. The former G,M & O had crossed the Missisippi River at St. Louis Missouri.

A 1970's era auto parts train from the former Illinois Central Gulf Railroad, is being led by an un reapainted former Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad EMD GP 38-2 roadswitcher acquired through merger in 1972. The train with a mix of newer and older box cars, is viewed passing over an urban viaduct scene on the club layout.

I took this unusual photograph recently in southwest suburban Summit Illinois.

Seen here looking through a chain link fence along the south side of the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad's Argo Yard in Summit Illinois, is an orange IHB EMD SW 1500 yard switcher locomotive idling between assignments in the windy and bitterly cold air.

A local hard working crew from the Niles Public Services company, are viewed at the site of a water main break on Howard Street in Niles Illinois.

Crews from the municipal public works departments, are expected to be on call anytime, in all kinds of weather 24 - 7.

This crew was on site, repairing a water main break during a snowstorm.

As you can tell....Chicago's winter of 2014 has been very less than kind so far. With frequent heavy lake effect snowstorms and extreme bitter sub zero temperatures...all I can say is "Hurry Springtime'!

I took this photograph last week Wednsday night, at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club.I was operating a 1970's era auto parts freight train, from the former Illinois Central Gulf Railroad. My train consisted of a former Gulf, Mobile & Ohio EMD GP 38-2 roadswitcher diesel electric locomotive painted in the late 1960's era G,M & O "Red Bird" color scheme, and several newer 60 foot modern box cars, as well as a few older 1950's era 50 foot double door box cars.The rear of my train shown here, features a former Illinois Central (Pre 1972) steam era side door caboose painted in the solid orange Illinois Central 1967 "New Image" color scheme, with 1972 era Illinois Central Gulf markings.The blue box car ahead of the caboose, is one of those older 50 foot double door box cars from the 1950's (And earlier) that were originally used for transporting automobiles. The blue box car, is decorated for the Detroit & Toledo Shore Line Railroad.During the 1960's and 70's transition era, mixes of newer and older box cars like this, were very common in daily operations. Althoughroofwalks like the one shown of the blue box car were phased out during the 1960's, many box cars from various railroads rolled around with these attatched well in to the 1970's, as it would take quite awhile to eventually replace them all.I enjoy modeling the 1960's and 70's era American freight trains I grew up seeing in Chicago many years ago.Thanks.Eddie K.

Here is a nice video from the Illinois Railway Museum in Union Illinois. www.irm.orgI grew up in Chicago during the 1960's and 70's era, and I have happy memoriesof the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, and the 1970 successor railroadBurlington Northern.Although the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy -The Great Northern - Northern Pacificand the Spokane, Portland & Seatle railroads had all merged and became the newcompany Burlington Northern on March 2nd, 1970...many locomotives from all of thecompanies rolled around the BN system until at least 1977, in their 1960's (And earlier)factory paint schemes.I fondly recall seeing many red and gray Chicago, Burlington & Quincy diesel locomotivesidling and working alongside green and black Burlington Northern diesel locomotives, atthe former C,B & Q Clyde Yard facility in Cicero Illinois in to the mid 1970's.C,B & Q # 504, is an EMD SD 24 restored to it's original Burlington appearanceand operating today, at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union Illinois.

Facing south and looking down from the West 31st Street overpass bridge east of South Cicero Avenue, a Belt Railway of Chicago self propelled track machine heads south, more than likely enroute to the BRC's Clearing Yard near Chicago Midway Airport.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

This is Eddie K, Your host and photographer here at Eddie's Railfan Page.

Some long overdue "Good News" for my fellow H.O Scale model railroaders and fans of the
former Illinois Central Railroad, will be coming next month to a hobby store near you.

Being released in February of 2014 in H.O Scale by the popular Intermountain Railway Company,
are several DCC and DCC Sound equipped H.O Scale models of the Illinois Central Railroad's
1970's era EMD GP 9 rebuilt locomotives known as GP 10 light roadswitchers.

When the Illinois Central Railroad's 1950's era EMD GP 9 hood unit diesel electric roadswitcher
locomotives were beginning to show their age physically and mechanically by the early 1970's,
the Illinois Central and 1972 successor company Illinois Central Gulf, rebuilt these locomotives at their Paducah Kentucky railroad shops, and re classified them as EMD GP 10 rebuild locomotives.

Just like the success that the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe experienced with their 1970's era EMD F 3 and F 7 cab unit rebuilds in to utilitarian and inexpensive CF 7 light roadswitchers...the ICG GP 10's had served the railroad well for several more years, and could be seen all over the greater Chicagoland area.

After the re organized Illinois Central and successor Canadian National discontinued using them in recent years, several were sold to shortline railroads. One is preserved and operating at the Monticello Railroad Museum in downstate Illinois, and one is on display near the Homewood Illinois Metra / Amtrak railroad station with a caboose coupled on.

I lived approximately one mile north of the former Illinois Central Iowa Division Mainline back in my old near southwest side Chicago neighborhood, and I used to see these locomotives almost daily during the 1970's and 8o's era.

I photographed this digital video last week Wednsday night, at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club in Oak Park Illinois.

The 9:00 PM hour was quickly approaching, and the club session was beginning to come to a close for the night.

My 1970's era Santa Fe unit grain train being led by an Athearn EMD GP 35 roadswitcher in pre 1972 Santa Fe colors and markings, is viewed being backed in to the rear staging yard near the end of the session. Most of the covered hopper cars in the consist, are from the late 1960's and early 1970's era.

Once in the rear staging yard, I will disassemble my train, pack everything away in their respective boxes, and head out to the car for the ride home.

One of my favorite "Stops" I enjoy making enroute to visits with my parents in Chicago's southwest suburbs...is the friendly Amstar Minuteman Conveinience gasoline station on South Harlem Avenue , in west suburban Riverside Illinois.

My mother always asks me to pick up a copy of the Berwyn Life newspaper here, plus I enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee, perhaps a snack, and sometimes a scratch off lottery ticket or two occasionally.

Most of all...the people who work here are very nice, and are a real pleasure to do business with anytime.

I took this photograph on a very cold and overcast winter morning, back in January of 2007.

A southbound BNSF Railway unit coal transfer train, waits for clearance to proceed through Chicago's Brighton Junction, located just immediately northwest of the intersection of South Archer and Western Avenues, at the border of Chicago's Brighton Park and Mc Kinley Park neighborhoods on the near southwest side of Chicago.

This would be the final winter season of operations at Brighton Junction as an old fashioned steam era mechanical junction with semaphore signals, as the Canadian National Railroad would close this junction in early July of 2007, and convert it to a remotely controlled unmanned junction with modern signals and new crosstracks.

Looking west from the top of the South Pulaski Road overpass bridge near West 76th Street, we see a Grand Trunk Western freight train waiting for clearance, to depart from the Belt Railway of Chicago's Clearing Yard.

It had snowed all morning, and had finally stopped by early afternoon that day.

The fresh white snow made for some nice photographs of Chicago winter railroading.

I took this photograph yesterday, in southwest suburban Summit Illinois.

A southbound Union Pacific Railroad freight train, is viewed passing through the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad's Argo Yard, and crossing over South Archer Road / Illinois Rt # 171 on a sunny, but still very cold and windy winter afternoon.

This is Eddie K, your host and photographer here at Eddie's Railfan Page.

Being one of many local Chicago area railfans myself...I have a tendency to follow several now "Fallen Flag" railroads of the past that once had served Chicago many years ago, and have long since vanished through merger take overs by other railroads.

One of my all time favorites, was the former New York Central Railroad.

Heck! With it's famous first class deluxe passenger trains, variety of locomotives and equipment, interesting and stylish corporate logos, as well as Jade green box cars and cabooses beginning during the late 1950's...what was not to like about the NYC?

I found this old 1960's era photograph from the New York Central Railroad on the internet.

My paratransit bus company, sent me on a passenger pick up in Palatine Illinois, heading out west to the city of Elgin.

I took a lunch break after the drop off, and spotted this local historical landmark on National Street on the east side of the Fox River in downtown Elgin Illinois.

Seen here is the preserved Watch Factory Depot, which had served the factory workers at the Elgin National Watch Factory just a few blocks west of here.

I will be doing some research on this old early 1900's era wooden train station, which I may believe to have been serving the passengers on the Chicago, Aurora And Elgin Railroad prior to 1957, when all C,A & E passenger service had ceased.

Friday, January 17, 2014

I found this historic photograph from southwest suburban Oak Lawn Illinois, on the Playland
Park Facebook page, which is located to the right of your computer screen at my Link page
listings.

In the immediate post World War 2 years, several seasonal little roadside Mom and Pop owned Amusement Parks, would spring up across the greater Chicagoland area.

These little family entertainment venues, featured portable carnival rides, a midway, game booths,
arcades, refreshment stands, and hopefully...ample parking.

Tom Kap sent this old 1960's era photograph taken at one of the entrance gates to the tiny and
quaint "Green Oaks Kiddieland Amusement Park, which was located at the southwest corner of
West 95th Street and South Pulaski Road in the village of southwest suburban Oak Lawn Illinois.

This photograph appears to have been taken during the winter "Off Season", as the park is closed,
and the carnival rides have been disassembled.

Being a seasonal business...losses outweighed any gains financially. Toward the end of it all, this little family owned amusement park had become expensive to operate and maintain, and was said
by some to have started to look rather shabby, and in poor maintenance.

The family who had owned this, decided to "Hang it up", and close the park for good in 1971.
Commercial real estate property on a corner location like this, was worth huge money.

After the park had closed, the property was redeveloped in to an outdoor retail strip mall.

Today, this is the site of a large K Mart (Formerly Venture) store, and a Chucky Cheese childrens pizzeria restaurant and arcade.

I took this photograph one afternoon while walking along West 51st Street in Chicago's Elsdon neighborhood on the southwest side of the city.

The Grand Trunk Western Railroad, had just recently closed their Elsdon Yard facility shown here back in October of 1983, however...this little section next to their single story yard office building, would remain in operation as a locomotive and crew change terminal, until September of 1986.

True, Elsdon Yard was now only a shadow of it's recent former self, but it was interesting to occasionally see these idling diesel locomotives being fueled on site by a tractor trailer tank semi tank truck. Unfortunately...this happened when I wasn't carrying my 35 mm camera with me.

These locomotives are parked on a curve immediately north of adjacent West 51st Street, just a block and 1/2 east of South Lawndale Avenue.

This is Eddie K, your host and photographer here at Eddie's Railfan Page.

Just in case you haven't figured it out by now, especially all the "Non Railfans" and others
who enjoy my blogsite for various reasons....Eddie's Railfan Page is more than just photos
and stories of trains and transportation subjects...It is also a fun and variety oriented nostalgia
page packed with happy memories for most if not all to enjoy.

Music is one of my favorite subjects.

I was born In Chicago Illinois way back in 1962, and I had grown up listening and appreciating
to many of the top singers, bands and song writers during the 1960's, 70's and 80's eras.

I was only 4 years old when the Motown Records vocal group known as "The Shades of Blue" had released their big top
hit single in 1966 entitled "Oh How Happy". As I recall...another Motown Records family
singing act known as "The Jackson 5", also recorded a cover version of this during the early
1970's.

I thought that this photograph would make a fitting close for today's posting of Eddie's Railfan Page.

I took this photograph this Wednsday night, at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club.

It was starting to get near the end of our Wednsday night operating session, and soon we would all be packing up our trains for our respective rides home that night.

My 1970's era Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad freight train, was making it's final laps around the club layout mainline. My train may have been in the home stretch prior to take down, and is viewed heading in to the tunnel.

Shortly after I had taken this photograph, My train was backed in to the rear staging yard, My cars and locomotive placed in to their individual boxes, everything was packed and ready to go, and then it was out to the car for the trip home.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Here is a video I found on You Tube, from the city of Dayton Ohio USA.

In this winter night time video, an electric trolleybus from the Miami Valley Regional Transportation Authority, is viewed cutting ice off of the overhead trolley wires which are energized at 600 volts DC.

This was a very spectacular image I remember from my own childhood growing up in Chicago during the 1960's, when the Chicago Transit Authority was still using electric trolleybuses on some of the former electric streetcar routes.

Ice would often form on the overhead twin trolleybus wires, often requiring a good scraping during the cold wet winter season. This was one of the main reasons that trolleybuses were eventually phased out by Chicago's CTA in 1973.

Here is a video I fondly remember watching on TV as a kid growing up in Chicago Illinois
during the 1960's and early 1970's era.

From the old Hannah Barbera productions Saturday morning Childrens television show
"The Banana Splits" which aired from 1968 to 1970, here is a comical and very amusing
video of a dancing traffic cop entitiled "Pop Cop."

Notice the various models of vintage cars, trucks and buses from back in those days.

I took this photograph after work one evening back in December of 2012.

A heavy and very windy lake effect snowstorm had just passed through Glenview Illinois within the afternoon hours, and now two of First Transit's Ford paratransit mini buses parked outside the Mechanic's garage in the back of the property, are now covered in snow.